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Arsene Wenger lambasted Arsenal’s “suicidal” defending after a shock home defeat left his side staring at another Champions League failure.

The Gunners have gone out at this stage in the last four seasons but were hot favourites to to reach the last eight against Wenger’s former club who are sitting fourth in Ligue 1.

But a deflected first-half strike from Geoffrey Kondogbia and breakaway goals after the break from Dimitar Berbatov and sub Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco saw the Monte Carlo club score three vital away goals.

Wenger, who rarely criticises his own players, admitted: “We missed the chances and we were a bit suicidal defensively. It looks like we have lost our nerves and our rationality on the pitch. The heart took over the head and at that level it doesn’t work.

“Mentally we were not ready, not sharp enough to get into this game. We paid for it. The problem was our defensive naivety. We got back into it at 2-1 and we were really poor in the way we gave away the third goal.”

Now the Gunners will have to score three times against the best defence in the Champions League at the Stade Louis II on March 17 to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2010.

No team has ever advanced after a two-goal first-leg home defeat

Dimitar Berbatov celebrates after scoring the second goal for Monaco

Former Spurs man Berbatov said: “We are confident in our ability so honestly we deserved to win.

“We are good. Arsenal is a good team but today probably we wanted the win more than them. We fought all over the pitch, won our challenges and scored the goals.

“In a team like Arsenal I don’t think they can allow themselves to underestimate our team today but if they did then it’s up to them.”

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